The touch of Pinotage (4%) to the Pinot Noir (96%) clonal blend intensifies the alluring deep, ruby hue and adds density and complexity. Enticing aromas of vivid bright cherry mingle with tiers of fragrant rose petals, dusty cedar and black tea notes. Boldly concentrated, with a core of dark cherry, black raspberry and boysenberry fruit, with hints of spicy sandalwood that echo through the lingering finish. Symposium is a generous, well-structured wine with the consistent minerality of all Fort Ross wines.

92 POINTS - WINE SPECTATOR, JAMES LAUBE: Ripe, plush and deep, with complex plum, blackberry and wild berry fruit that's supple and polished, finishing with a long, intense aftertaste that keeps the fruit at the forefront. Drink now through 2011.

The touch of Pinotage to the Pinot Noir clonal blend intensifies the alluring deep, ruby hue and adds density and complexity. Enticing aromas of vivid bright cherry mingle with tiers of fragrant rose petals, dusty cedar and black tea notes. Boldly concentrated, with a core of dark cherry, black raspberry and boysenberry fruit, with hints of spicy sandalwood that echo through the lingering finish. Symposium is a generous, well-structured wine with the consistent minerality of all Fort Ross Wines.

Winemaker Notes

The grapes for this Pinot Noir were handpicked in the cool early morning hours in small five-gallon buckets. After hand sorting, the grapes were cold soaked for several days and fermented in simple open-top fermenters. The caps were manually punched down. Shortly after pressing, the wines were barreled in a combination of new and used French oak. Throughout fermentation and aging, the clones and the different vineyard blocks were kept separate to maintain their distinct ﬂavor proﬁles and structural components. When blending the lots from the five Pinot Noir clones we grow in the Fort Ross Vineyard, each with different qualities enhanced by the speciﬁc site and barrel choice, this unique wine from some of our intended Reserve and Vineyard Designate lots evolved. After extensive blending trials we decided on 96% Pinot Noir and 4% Pinotage. It was bottled unﬁned and unﬁltered.

Other Notes

Following the near perfect vintage of 2002, 2003 lived up to the challenge and provided Fort Ross with wonderfully ripe Pinot Noir. Although there were significant heat waves in early September 2003, the vineyard's marine-moderated climate allowed the Pinot Noir to ripen slowly and fully into early October.